This invention pertains to a hair dryer employing a radiator made of a ceramic adapted when heated to radiate far-infrared radiation.
Conventionally, a hair dryer employs a heating wire, such as a nickel-chromium (Nixe2x80x94Cr) wire, and relies upon heat convection only to dry a user""s hair.
As exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,677 (from International Application No. PCT/KR99/00336) it has been known for a hair dryer to employ a heater radiating far-infrared radiation. As exemplified therein, the heater radiating far-infrared radiation is a halogen heater, which comprises a heating wire within a gas-filled, quartz tube. Such a hair dryer employs far-infrared radiation as well as heat convection to dry a user""s hair.
Certain ceramics containing silica oxide (SiO2) and aluminum oxide (AL2O2) are known to radiate far-infrared radiation when heated. In some publications, because of biological and physiological effects attributed to far-infrared radiation by researchers in Japan, Korea, and elsewhere, such ceramics that radiate far-infrared radiation are called bio-ceramics. Also, in some publications, far-infrared radiation is called by a xe2x80x9cFIRxe2x80x9d acronym.
Hereinbefore and hereinafter, although far-infrared radiation refers to a much wider range in astronomy and astrophysics, far-infrared radiation refers to electromagnetic radiation having a wave length in a range from approximately six microns to approximately fourteen microns.
This invention provides a hair dryer employing a radiator made of a ceramic, such as a bio-ceramic, which is adapted when heated to radiate far-infrared radiation. A ceramic suitable for the radiator is available commercially from Tae Yang Ind. Co. of Majungong 87-1, Sugu, Inchon, Korea, under its CELAMIN trademark.
The hair dryer comprises an elongate body, which has an inlet end defining an inlet and an outlet end defining an outlet. The hair dryer further comprises a fan, which is adapted when driven to draw air into the inlet, to move air through the elongate body, and to blow air from the outlet, and an electrical motor, which is adapted when energized to drive the fan. The hair dryer further comprises an electrical heater, which is mounted within the elongate body, between the fan and the outlet.
This invention contemplates that the ceramic radiator is mounted to the elongate body, near the electrical heater, and that the electrical heater is adapted when energized to heat air pulled through the elongate body by the fan and to heat the ceramic radiator. Preferably, the ceramic radiator is tubular and is mounted within the elongate body and the electrical heater is configured as an elongate coil, which is deployed around the ceramic radiator.
For a discussion of certain effects attributed to far-infrared radiation, particularly in a context of a hair dryer, the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,677, supra, is incorporated herein by reference.